Territory
by Shinigami's Death Angel
Summary: Superheroes are all territorial bastards.


**Territory**

Superheroes are odd human beings, if you think about it for a while. They're the ones who live in cities full of corruption and sit by day after day as bedlam reigns. Eventually, something in them snaps and they can't take it anymore. They've been sitting idly for too long and have lost too much, all the while storing up too much anger and hatred towards the blatant injustice that no law enforcer can touch. Every superhero was once a human, until being human was no longer enough.

Once a superhero reaches the point at which they can no longer stand to see crime and greed rule their city, they go through a standard human to hero transition process. First, they realize that without a change their city is doomed, which ignites the process. Then, they come to the realization that they are entering a dangerous game and that anyone close to or associated with them will be in potential danger. Superheroes quickly learn that, to be a superhero, you can't be yourself.

So, you become someone else.

Superheroes shroud themselves in a new identity, a new name, a new persona, a mask, a cape, a cloak, anything that will keep their identity and the identities of the ones they love safe. Anger has strengthened resolve, training has hardened the body, and minds have honed weapons. A superhero's arsenal ranges from physical weapons, to superhuman powers, to nothing more than a brilliant mind. Weapons and powers alone can only take a superhero so far, but if utilized properly they keep the superhero alive, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.

After the superhero has fully morphed into their new identity, they're ready to start defending their city. This is the point at which things become sticky. An angry, protective human has now become a strong, armed crusader. A superhero's city is theirs and theirs alone, and anyone who tries to invade or harm their city is subjecting themselves to wrath. Even amongst superheroes there is an unspoken rule that territories are not to be crossed.

Superheroes become who they are because they are driven to protect what they care about, and the second they feel that their capabilities are being questioned all kinds of hell can be raised. No one knows this better than those superheroes who have shown up in Gotham unannounced.

Sometimes teams of superheroes are formed to fight a greater evil, and everyone gets along fine in these instances but, again, personal cities are still off limits. It does happen, very rarely, that a superhero needs help protecting their city. Proud and stubborn as they all are, even when they need help they don't _need_ help. Another superhero simply becomes nosy, comes for a visit, and, should the desire take them, helps out.

Should the occasion arise where a villain from one superhero's city happens to decide to encroach on another superhero's city…well, interesting things have happened.

The only time a superhero will usually willingly share their city is when they take on a sidekick, which actually happens more frequently than one would think. A superhero's body can only endure for so long, after all, and somebody has to inherit protection duty of the city.

Tied into one neat little statement: superheroes are all territorial bastards.

This is why Wally West, a well informed superhero, never feels completely comfortable when he's in a city that he knows is being watched over by another superhero. Even when he isn't suited up and not posing any ego threats, Wally still feels like he's crossing some taboo line.

Bludhaven, however, feels different.

Under the careful eye of Nightwing, Bludhave is not its superhero's hometown, which is sometimes a rarity in the superhero world. Despite having been trained in Gotham, Nightwing was ready for his own city and watches over Bludhaven with as much fierce protectiveness as any other superhero who's born to their city.

Nightwing has, unfortunately, inherited his mentor's deep dislike for any uninvited superhero guests, which would explain why Wally is currently checking over his shoulder every other step like a paranoid idiot. It's broad daylight and the streets of Bludhaven are fairly crowded, but you never know when a vengeful superhero will feel like making you disappear.

As Wally starts walking towards the shadier part of town, he can't help but wonder what his boyfriend was thinking when he chose his apartment location. Wally's pretty sure that there are at least five eyes sizing him up, the one accompanied by an eye patch covered one being the creepiest, and he's seriously hoping no one tries to mug him.

"Hey there, Red. Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?"

_Well, so much for no trouble. _

Wally shoves his fisted hands deeper into his pockets as he keeps his eyes glued to the sidewalk. No way is he going to stir up trouble and draw attention to himself. Nightwing may not be a danger during the day, but there is a certain police officer that Wally knows is just as bad.

"Hey, don't you be walking away from us." It's eye patch guy that grabs Wally by the elbow and jerks him around. Wally is now being backed into a dark alley by three lecherous looking thugs, and the dreadful feeling that this can't end well is slowly gnawing at his gut.

"Really, boys, do you seriously think that trying to gangbang my friend here is going to end well for you?"

Wally freezes at that voice, and suddenly he isn't sure who to be more scared of, the thugs who apparently want his body or the deadly calm looking man coming up from behind him. Blazing blue eyes barely glance in Wally's direction before they turn to the thugs with an air of patronizing anticipation for their answer.

"It's that damned Grayson kid that that landlady's taken a shine to." One of the thugs snarls, baring an incomplete set of yellowed teeth.

A dark eyebrow quirks up and, knowing well what that means, Wally instantly takes a step back to put himself just behind the man who claims Bludhaven as his. These are not Wally's thugs to deal with, and he'd best stay out of the way if he knows what's good for him.

"Don't be mad at me just because she'd rather hang herself than screw your ugly faces." Dick's voice is soft, and a second after his words are spoken a flurry of movement ensues.

Eye patch guy charges recklessly forward, only to be grabbed painfully by the wrist and flipped solidly into the alley wall before landing on his neck with a crack. Yellow teeth guy receives a quick jab to the windpipe, a rib-crushing elbow to the chest, and a swift kick into the wall before he crumples into a heap over Mr. Eye Patch.

The third guy turns tail and runs.

Looking cool and calm as ever, Dick steps carelessly over the unconscious bodies on his way over to Wally. Wally, who isn't liking the gleam in those blue eyes one bit, takes instinctive steps back with his eyes stuck to Dick's until his back meets the wall. A cold sweat is breaking out over Wally's back as Dick cages him in by solidly planting a hand on the wall at either side of Wally's head. There's a smirk threatening to twist stern lips and a glimmer of mirth flitting behind the cold gaze, but Wally doesn't dare let himself fall into a false lull.

"You didn't call." Dick's voice hasn't changed from the soft tone he used with the thugs, which terrifies Wally as the eyes he's staring into begin to inch closer. "You're in my city, and yet I got no heads up."

"Surprise?" Wally tries for his most innocently cute face, but quickly discards that idea at the dark look he's now receiving.

"I hate surprises."

"That's not how it seemed last week when you woke up with my mouth on your co-" Wally's last word is enveloped by a harsh, punishing kiss as Dick suddenly slams their lips together.

A hot tongue is ravishing Wally's mouth as teeth are nipping at his lips hard enough that a hint of copper invades their kiss. Wally can't remember a kiss this hot as a hand drops from beside his head to grab a belt loop on his jeans and yank his hips forward. Blunt nails are scraping at Dick's back and fisting his thin T-shirt as Wally fights hard to keep himself from moaning. This is undeniably a game of dominance, and Wally refuses to lose this easily.

"You broke the unspoken cardinal rule." Dick has pulled away to let Wally gasp air back into his lungs, but their bodies are still flush together from the chests down as Dick's lips caress Wally's ear. "I think you need to be punished."

The deep, sexy growl of Dick's words and his tongue lightly tracing the shell of Wally's ear make a violent shudder of pure need travel through the redhead's body. Gripping Dick's shirt even tighter, Wally bites down on his boyfriend's shoulder to resist his overwhelming urge to beg for Dick to take him. Hooking a leg around Dick's waist, Wally manages to relieve some tension as he shamelessly ruts against the bulge straining at Dick's jeans.

Wally notes that his boyfriend is a sadistic bastard as his desperate actions are met with a husky chuckle.

"I could just take you up against the wall right here, make sure all the lowlife thugs know exactly who you belong to." Dick offers as he wraps a hand around the thigh resting on his hip and thrusts up against Wally.

"Or," Wally gasps as he finally gets a hold of himself enough to grab the upper hand and flip their position so that Dick's now the one pinned to the wall. "We could go inside, get you naked, and clip your new leash on."

The first moan of pleasure escapes Dick's lips as his long eyelashes lower at the thought alone, and Wally realizes with triumph that he's finally won this game. Pressing another searing kiss to his unfairly sexy boyfriend's lips, a pale finger hooks onto something just hidden beneath Dick's shirt collar and pulls. Stark against Dick's creamy smooth neck is a black leather dog collar with a silver tag that clearly states _Property of Wally West._

Yep, territorial bastards, the whole lot of them.


End file.
